


Loving Gestures

by RyanTyler2294



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Culture, Courting Rituals, Fluff, M/M, pinning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-04 03:51:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17297234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RyanTyler2294/pseuds/RyanTyler2294
Summary: Keith and the Paladins notice Ulaz’s odd behavior when it comes to Shiro. Shiro doesn’t think there's anything weird about it.





	Loving Gestures

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve actually been working on this on and for a few months. It’s one of my faves so far.  
> And don’t worry I have finished the sequel to captive and I should be able to start posting soon, but I hope you guys enjoy this one ^^

The first time it happened no one was sure how to react.

Ulaz’s ship sent out a signal asking for permission to dock. Once on board, the Paladins and the Princess greeted him. His suit was a little charred. He explained that he just got back from a particularly dangerous mission.

“Let us know what you need,” Shiro told him.

“You have full access to our medical supplies and whatever else may aid you,” Allura agreed.

“Thank you for the accommodations.” Ulaz gave his appreciation. He turned to Shiro and continued on with, “I found something you may like. I remember you mentioning your fascination with minerals. The planet my mission was on is known for its iridescence. I manage to bring back one of its rare incandescent rocks.”

Ulaz reached into one of the pouches on his utility belt and pulled out the item he spoke of. The rock was a little bigger than his palm and smooth to the touch. The purple and blue hues swirled and glowed on its exterior.

“Wow,” they all crowded around to get a better look. Even Allura was fascinated by it.

“For you,” Ulaz presented the rock to Shiro. “I hope you treasure it.”

“Thank you,” Shiro grinned when he got his hands on it and was able to inspect it closer.

“Did you get something for the rest of us?” Pidge asked excitedly.

“Why would I?” Ulaz looked at them with mild confusion and a mix of annoyance.

There was a beat of silence where no one knew how to react. Coran was the one to clear his throat and inform Ulaz that his room was the way he had left it. Once again Ulaz thanked him before going to get settled.

~.~.~.~.~

“Well, that sucked,” Lance declared when they got back from a strenuous bout of training. He sank down into the couch and leaned against a tired Hunk.

“I can’t feel my legs,” Hunk complained.

“I’m sore everywhere,” Pidge agreed. Even Keith nodded tiredly in agreement.

“You look tired,” Ulaz said to Shiro as he passed him a water bottle. “The vitamins in this should help restore your energy.”

“Thanks,” Shiro smiled as he accepted the bottle and took a sip. “Is this sour apple?”

“You said it was your favorite confectionary flavor,” Ulaz sat next to him.

“I told you that back before I was free,” Shiro was in awe that Ulaz remembered. He took another sip, more than happy to find the drink was lightly carbonated.

“I pay attention,” Ulaz beamed proudly.

“Do you have any more of that stuff?” Hunk asked.

“I do not,” Ulaz said curtly before turning back to Shiro. “How did training go?”

“Long story short. We set the training robot a level higher and it wasn’t what we expected.” Shiro presses the cold bottle to his forehead as he leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes.

“That bad?”

“It kicked our butts,” Shiro admitted. “I would have done better if I got more sleep last night. I’m still a little groggy.”

“You should use this free time to rest,” Ulaz encouraged.

“I’ll pass out sooner or later,” Shiro waved it off like it was no big deal. As if to prove a point he let out a long yawn.

“I’ll take a guess and say sooner,” Ulaz smirked.

“Hm,” was the reply. Shiro was fading fast. He couldn’t even bring himself to open his eyes. He started to tip over, only stopping when his head met Ulaz’s shoulder.

“Looks like you’re stuck there,” Lance said as he stood up to stretch.

“I can wake him up if you want,” Keith offered.

“It is fine. I wouldn’t want to disturb him. He doesn’t rest very often.”

“Suit yourself,” Lance shrugged. One by one the Paladins filed out of the lounge in favor of their own rooms.

Keith checked back in a few varga laters. Shiro and Ulaz were still there. Ulaz had also fallen asleep at some point, and Shiro was now laying in a shirtless Ulaz’s lap. Ulaz used his Blade of Marmora hoodie as a blanket for Shiro.

Keith watched as Shiro snuggled into Ulaz and wrapped himself tighter in the hoodie. A small smile on his face as he settled back in.

Keith let them be.

~.~.~.~.~

“We need to either stop and go shopping or stop somewhere to hunt,” Shiro was firm in his declaration. “He needs real food.”

“The food we provide has more than enough nutrition,” Allura defenses.

“For Humans and Alteans, but not for Galran,” Shiro said. “Ulaz needs meat. The food goo isn’t enough to sustain him.”

“I’ll see what we can find,” Allura pulled up the map. “We’re not close to any residential areas but there are a few planets that have wild game. Would that be alright?”

“Yes,” Shiro said. “I’ll let Ulaz know.”

He found Ulaz sulking in the lounge. He was looking through the provisions he’d brought with him: trying to figure out how to ration the last of his jerky. He became ecstatic when he was informed they would be stopping for him.

“You talked her into landing for me?” Ulaz asked. His tone let him know he was more than a little touched by Shiro’s actions.

“We can’t let you starve,” Shiro reasoned. “We’ll be touching down in a few doboshes. Are you going to be okay by yourself down there? If you want I can come with you.”

“That is quite alright,” Ulaz stood. “I’ll be able to procure more than enough on my own. If you would excuse me, I’m going to prepare.”

Shiro gave a small wave as he left.

“Were you really going to help him hunt?” Keith asked.

“He looks pretty famished. I don’t want him passing out in the middle of everything and getting attacked. But he’s saying he can handle it.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Lance said. “Have you looked at the guy?”

“Just 'cause he’s the most capable doesn’t mean he doesn’t need someone looking out for him.” Shiro justified. “Anyways we’re going to be landing soon. I don’t think we’ll be here more than a day, but it’s the same rules as always if you leave the ship.”

“We know Dad,” Pidge rolled her eyes. “We’re not kids. Besides most of us can handle ourselves.”

“Just remember rules. I don’t want to leave without anyone.” Shiro said as he left.

The moment they landed Ulaz was at the doors of the castle.

“I’ll be back swiftly,” Ulaz placed a hand on Shiro’s shoulder as he declared his promise. He took off into the wilderness, diving into the nearby brush and continuing on his way.

A few varga later and Shiro was still posted by the entrance waiting for Ulaz. Shiro had found a place to sit as he waited. He was reading something on his tablet to keep himself occupied.

“You’re just going to sit here waiting for him?” Keith asked as he passed by.

“I don’t want him to not come back and we don’t know,” Shiro didn’t look up from his tablet.

“I’m sure you could set an alert on the ship or something,” Keith said.

“I don’t want to bug Allura. She and Coran are using this time to do system checks.”

“You’re still here?” Pidge and the others happened to be wandering by. “Any signs of Ulaz yet?”

“Not yet,” Shiro yawned.

“I’d be surprised if he made it back today,” Lance said.

“Yeah, he’s been gone a long time,” Hunk added. “Are you sure it was okay for him to go off on his own?”

“I’m starting to wonder that myself,” Shiro frowned.

“There you all are,” Allura joined them. “Coran and I just finished up. If Ulaz is back we can go.”

“He’s not back yet,” they all said almost unison.

“Well, when he does show up we can go,” Allura said.

“What do you think it taking him?” Hunk worried.

“Maybe he’s having trouble catching stuff,” Lance shrugged.

“If he hadn’t caught anything by the time the sun was setting he would have turned back,” Shiro frowned.

“Do you think something happened?” Allura asked.

“I’m not sure,” Shiro was going to say more but then Keith spotted Ulaz heading towards them. He was hunched over dragging something behind him. When he saw they were waiting for him he straightened up and walked a little faster.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” Ulaz said directly to Shiro: as always.

“I wanted to make sure you got back okay,” Shiro said. “How’d it go?”

“I would have been faster but I stopped to clean everything before bringing it back. And then I had to fashion a sled to carry everything.”

“As long as you’re alright. I take it you have enough for a while.”

“Yes,” Ulaz said. “And I got this,” he pulled a package off his sled. He must have taken the time to wrap each cut to help ward off insects. He took the biggest one in hand and deposited it into Shiro’s arms as he declared, “For you.”

“Wow,” Shiro could barely hold the heft of it. “Thanks. Hunk can cook this up for everyone. It’s been a while since we had real meat.”

Shiro was too busy trying to keep the bundle in his arms, and he didn’t notice the way Ulaz’s ears fell.

~.~.~.~.~

“Coran needs to get a few items for ship repairs. It may take him a few varga. Until then, you all have a little bit of GAC so you can get something or browse for a bit. Let’s try not to get banned from this mall?” Shiro told them.

He hadn’t gone on the last shopping trip and it had proven to be a bad thing. Somehow Hunk ended up chained to a kitchen, Keith got into a fight with a kiosk attendant, and Pidge and Lance dived for coins in the fountain and came back with a cow.

This time he was going with them to at least deter misbehavior.

“Do you plan on getting something for yourself?” Ulaz asked as they went their separate way. He was in normal clothes since he wasn’t on a mission. He didn’t have to worry about a disguise since all kinds of people frequented here, including Galra.

“If I have time,” Shiro said. “I offered to help Coran out so I also have a list of a few things we need.”  
  
“Would you like me to accompany you,” Ulaz offered. “We can get it done much faster if we work together.”

“That would be a big help actually,” Shiro agreed. They got to work getting everything they needed. Ulaz was better at navigating the stores and it didn’t take them too long to get everything.

“What would you like to do now?” Ulaz asked.

“Well, Coran just sent out a message that things are taking longer than he thought. We have some time to browse. I figure we actually get something sparkly for Allura this time.”

“Was it wise to leave her on the castle by herself,” Ulaz asked. “I know she can’t come down because of the circumstances but is she better off on the ship?”

“The ship is a fortress,” Shiro waved it off. “No one can get in it.”

“I did,” Ulaz reminded him.

“Yeah, but you’re a special case. And you remember how strong she is.”

“Still,” Ulaz mused.

“If you want we can grab something and head back to-”

“I know it’s going to sound hypocritical of me,” Ulaz cut him off. “But I was hoping to spend this free time with you. If you trust the ship and Allura’s capabilities then I do as well. But we don’t often get moments like this and I would like to take advantage of it.”

“I’d like that,” Shiro smiled up at him. Ulaz beamed back. They stopped at a small jewelry store and got Allura a bracelet.

“You think she’ll like it?” Shiro asked.

“Well, its very sparkly,” Ulaz said. “I’m sure if anything she’ll appreciate the gesture.” He put the bag in the hover cart they had following them. “Where do you want to head next?”

“We could browse and see where it leads,” Ulaz suggested. They did. Shiro picked up a few new outfits closer to his style. He said he felt wrong wearing Keith’s dad's clothes all the time.

“You’re not going to try anything on?” Ulaz asked as they checked out.

“Nah. It looks like it will fit.” Shiro reasoned. “I don’t want to spend all day here.”

The statement left Ulaz to wonder what exactly Shiro was like when shopping. All the same, they moved on. They peaked in on a couple of stores but didn’t buy anything. Ulaz almost paused in front of the candy store, but decided against it and kept going.

“Wow,” Shiro stopped in front of a store window that was selling Voltron merchandise. “I didn’t know we were that popular.”

“I keep telling you that you bring hope to those who see you,” Ulaz never tried to hide how proud he was.

“I think it’s more Voltron than me,” Shiro said.

“I’m looking at a lot of Black Paladin merchandise,” Ulaz smirked. “You are the most popular.”

“I-” Shiro’s cheeks colored in embarrassment. He cleared his throat and changed the subject. “The stuffed lions are oddly accurate.”

“There is close attention to detail.” Ulaz agreed. “Do you like it?” Ulaz caught Shiro staring at the biggest one.

“It reminds me of my old toys from when I was a kid,” Shiro said. “I had this huge teddy bear. But I outgrew that kind of stuff.”

“Outgrew?” Ulaz asked.

“It was kid stuff ya know. As you grow up you give that sort of thing up.”

“Growing up means maturing and taking responsibility for yourself,” Ulaz said. “It doesn’t mean giving up the things you love.” He could hear Shiro morning the loss of his old toy as he spoke.

Shiro shrugged and said, “Let’s get something to eat.” He didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

~.~.~.~.~

Everyone had picked up something for Allura and she couldn’t be happier. Once again they walked in on her having some sort of weird hairstyle. She must have let the mice do her hair again.

They had about a varga before take off. They all took the time to disappear to their rooms and put their stuff away.

By the time they came out for dinner they were soaring through the stars again. Keith spotted Ulaz around the corner, down the hall. He was going to greet him but Ulaz seemed to be carrying a large stuffed black lion for some reason.

Pidge walked up to Keith with a questioning look. Keith only had to point and she understood. It was an odd sight. Even Lance kept quiet as they watched. They wanted to see where this went.

Ulaz stopped in front of Shiro’s door and knocked. Shiro appeared a second later.

“What’s…when did you?” Shiro stared in awe as Ulaz passed him the plush toy.

“You were enamored by it,” Ulaz said. “I wanted to make sure you had it.”

“Thank you,” Shiro looked up him all smiles and rosy cheeks. “You wanna come in. I’m not doing much.”

“I would love to,” Ulaz stepped inside and the door closed behind him.

The Paladins looked at each other but none of them spoke. They were starting to get a clearer picture of what was going on here.

~.~.~.~.~

“I picked them up when you were loading everything in,” Shiro said.

Keith had gotten up in the middle of the night to stretch his legs. He got restless sometimes and wander through the castle until he felt ready to go back to bed.

This time he could hear someone else up as well. There was a light conversation coming from the kitchen. When he got closer he could tell it was Shiro and Ulaz. From the sounds of it, Ulaz was cooking.

“I see,” Ulaz said. “I hadn’t noticed you left.”

“I can be sneaky,” Shiro said in triumph. “I saw you practically drool when we were there, so I figured someone must have a sweet tooth.”

“I do,” Ulaz admitted. “But it’s been quite some time since I last had any sort of confection, so for that I thank you.”

“It’s nothing,” Shiro said. “I didn’t know what you like so I got an assortment. Was that alright?”

“Yes, it was. I’m not picky.”

Keith decided to poke his head in to see what was going on. He wanted to confirm his suspicions.

Ulaz had just finished whatever it was he was making and plated it. Keith thinks it may be some kind of steak and eggs. He recognized the cut of meat from what Ulaz had brought Shiro. He had been very adamant about being the one to cook it once Shiro told him he offered to let Hunk cook because he can’t.

Ulaz had perked back up from his deflated state and started to name all the dishes he could prepare. Keith hadn’t actually seen any cooking until now.

Shiro happily accepted the plate. He was perched on the counter in just his boxers. Even in the dim lighting, Keith could see the scars that littered Shiro’s body. Normally Shiro was covered up completely. Even during training he never switched to a t-shirt or tank top. But with Ulaz he was practically naked and didn’t seem to care.

“Keith,” Shiro was surprised to see him. “What are you doing up.”

“Taking a walk.” Keith could tell that Shiro was suddenly very self-conscious. Still, he had to ask, “What are you doing up?”

“Midnight snack,” Shiro said simply.  
  
“Oh,” Keith said. He wasn’t sure how to react. Ulaz was watching the conversation play out without interrupting. It made things a bit weirder.

“You should try and get some sleep,” Shiro said. Was he showing him out?  
  
“I will,” Keith said. He could see he was interrupting something. What it was he wasn’t sure. He left the room after bidding them good night.

~.~.~.~.~

“He lost a lot of blood but he’ll be okay,” Allura told them. “He needs another few minutes in cryo, but when he comes out he’ll be good as new.”

“What happened back there?” Hunk asked.

“He got hurt covering me,” Pidge admitted. She started to explain what happened.

When she and Shiro were on a mission, Shiro had taken a serious blow to his midsection when he took a hit for Pidge. He urged her along, saying they had to move fast before reinforcements came.

They took off, but it wasn’t long before Pidge noticed Shiro slowing down.

“Are you okay?” She asked. Shiro was holding his side as he ran. When he tried to tell her he was okay, blood poured from his mouth.

That seemed to be the tipping point.

Shiro started to collapse and Pidge started to panic. She had been sure that Shiro may have died in front of her. Through her tears, she still tried to drag him back to the ship. But Shiro was at least 200 pounds. He felt impossible to move. And worse, she could hear the reinforcements Shiro had been worried about down the hall.

Luckily, Lance and Keith had been in the area and came to her aid. With their help, she was able to fend off their attackers and get an unconscious Shiro to the cryo pods.

Now all they could do was wait.

Pidge was still a bit shaken up. She was doing better once she changed out of her bloody clothes. She needed Shiro to be alright so they could put this whole incident behind them.

They sat around and waited. Shiro looked peaceful in the pod, unlike last time when he looked like he was plagued by nightmares.

“Has anyone told Ulaz?” Keith asked. Ulaz was on a Blade related mission. Until he was done they had no way of communicating with him.

“We can still send him a message,” Allura decided. “He’ll receive it when he comes back in range.”

Shiro was done before then. He was immediately draped in a blanket and pulled into a group hug. He was doing his best to sound comforting, but he was still dazed.

“It looked like you weren’t gonna make it back there,” Lance let out a sigh of relief and pat Shiro on the back.

“That last guy hit a little harder than I expected,” Shiro shrugged.

“How are you feeling?” Allura asked.

“Tired,” Shiro said. “I’m not in pain or anything. A little bit of sleep and I’ll be good as new.”

“That’s a relief,” Keith sighed. “You should-”

“Takashi,” Ulaz was suddenly coming through the doors of the medical wing. Coran must have let him on board and filled him in on everything. Ulaz was wide-eyed and distressed. He crossed the room briskly until he was in front of Shiro and pulling him in his arm.

“I’m okay,” Shiro didn’t protest when his head rests on Ulaz’s chest. Ulaz was holding him close and had no intentions of letting him go anytime soon. When he did finally let him go, it was only so he could get a better look at him. His hands cupped Shiro’s face gently as he took him in.

“You scared me,” Ulaz said after a while.

“I’m right here,” Shiro put his hands over Ulaz’s to try and comfort him. “I’m okay.”

There was a long moment of them holding each other like that. Lance cleared his throat to get their attention.

Shiro’s cheeks colored with embarrassment before he announced he was going to his room.

“We’ll bring you dinner,” Pidge said. Shiro thank them before he started down the hall. Ulaz was by his side asking him about his health as they left.

“That was…odd,” Hunk said.

“I guess it makes sense,” Keith said. “Ulaz did take care of Shiro when he was being held prisoner. He saw him injured and closer to death than we have. It makes sense that he…”

“That he looked like he wanted to make out with him?” Lance asked. “Cause that’s what it looked like to me.”

“I’ve also been worried about Ulaz’s behavior towards Shiro,” Allura admitted.

“How so?” Pidge asked.

“I fear Ulaz may be attempting to court Shiro. He’s been going through the rituals and I’m not sure if Shiro is aware of it.”

“So, Ulaz is trying to date him?” Hunk asked.

“It’s more than that. Courting is a ritual done when a Galra is trying to find a life partner. When they’ve picked someone, they lavish them in gifts and show off their capabilities.

“Is that why he gave Shiro that slab of meat?” Pidge asked.

“Among other things,” Allura went on. “For example, the rock was him trying to show he is attentive to Shiro’s hobbies.”

“And the drink was him trying to show he could take care of him,” Lance mused.

“I worry that Shiro might not be catching the context. He seems to be acting as if they are only friends.” Allura went on. “And I’m worried about what may happen when Shiro rejects him.”

“I doubt he would hurt him,” Keith said.

“That’s not my worry,” Allura said. “But Ulaz is our liaison. We don’t need any bad feelings between them if we have to work with him in the long run.”

“That’s true,” Pidge agreed.

“So we tell Shiro what’s going on,” Keith said. “He knows Ulaz best. He’ll know how to handle this.”

“Unless he doesn’t have tact,” Lance rubbed the bottom of his chin. “If he’s not well versed in dealing with the ladies then this could be a disaster. I could give him some…”

“Shiro’s an adult,” Keith cut him off. “He can handle this kind of thing.” It wouldn’t be Shiro’s first time letting someone down gently. Though, Keith had to wonder if that was what Shiro would do.

~.~.~.~.~

The only issue was trying to get Shiro alone. It wasn’t until now that they started to realize that Ulaz was always at Shiro’s side.

They were hardly ever apart.

“I think the only time he wasn’t there was during training.” Allura sighed. “And that’s hardly the place to bring something like that up.”

“We could have a team meeting afterward,” Pidge suggested. “That way we can bring it up as a concern.”

“Guys,” Keith cut in. “I don’t think we have to intervene. If we noticed by now then there’s no way Shiro hasn’t.”

“If he knew then we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” Allura reminded him.

“That’s what I’m saying,” Keith started to say. He wasn’t sure how to explain to them what he saw the other night.

He’d been unable to sleep, again, and found himself wandering the halls, again. And managed to find Shiro and Ulaz, again.

This time it had been an accident. He stumbled upon the observation deck. Shiro mentioned finding it a while back. It was down an obscure hallway that opened up to a sitting area like the lounge. The walls were see-through so you could see the stars.

It was amazing, but before he could enter he spotted Shiro and Ulaz on one of the couches. He was having trouble hearing them but he could clearly see Shiro on his back, Ulaz comfortably between his leg, hovering over him. They were both fully clothed, but Keith was still sure he walked in on something he shouldn’t have.

They were too wrapped up in each other to notice him. Shiro’s eyes had fluttered closed, and they both seemed a little flushed.

Keith was still worried that he may not be able to exit without being noticed.

“Was that okay?” Ulaz asked. Yup, Keith walked in on something.

“Was that a kiss?” Shiro blushed.

“It’s an intimate gesture of affection,” Ulaz confirmed. “Do humans not have that?”

“We do,” Shiro said. “It’s a little different.” There was a brief pause before Shiro added, “Do you want me to show you?”

Ulaz nodded eagerly. Shiro took the other mans face in his hands and brought him closer. Ulaz looked apprehensive but excited as Shiro brought their lips together in a kiss.

Keith used the moment when their eyes fluttered closed to make his exit. He wasn’t sure how to tell the others that Shiro was into Ulaz.

“All I’m saying,” Keith had to phrase this right. “Is that a lot of the Galra courting rituals are like what we do when we’re trying to date someone. I think Shiro knows, and if he didn’t want Ulaz to peruse him then he would have said something by now.”

“That’s a fair point,” Pidge agreed. “We were all thinking it before we even knew what the rituals were.”

“I can’t see Shiro being okay with Ulaz…” Allura started to say.

“What are we talking about?” Shiro asked. For once Ulaz wasn’t with him.

“Perfect timing,” Allura said.

“Where’s Ulaz?” Hunk asked.

“Video chat with Kolivan,” Shiro explained. “Why?”

“We wanted to talk to you privately,” Allura said.

“What’s up?” Shiro put his hands on his waist.

“It’s about Ulaz,” Allura started to explain her worries. The more she went on the pinker Shiro turned.

“About that,” Shiro scratched the back of his head. “I’ve been meaning to let you know about that whole situation.”

“You’ve known?” Allura frowned.

“A while back he asked if he could court me, and I said yes,” Shiro confesses.

“You what?” Allura tilted her head not quite understanding what she was being told.

“We’re taking things slow since, you know, we are fighting a war.”

“I see,” Allura nodded. “You could have let us know. We’ve been unsure how to approach you on the matter.”

“It’s not that big of a deal,” Shiro went on. “It doesn’t change anything.”

“It changes things a little bit,” Lance said. “Like do we need to be on the lookout for a sock on the door kind of situation or what? 'Cause our doors don’t lock. They just kind of swish open and I rather not know what Ulaz looks like naked.”

“Ya know, I’ve been asking you guys to knock before you enter since before we found Ulaz.” Shiro rebutted.

If they just got around to kissing then Keith doubt they were anywhere close to that stage in their relationship. He wasn’t going to say that though. He didn’t need Shiro knowing he saw that.

“Do you mind me asking what stage of the ritual you’re in?” Allura asked.

“Things are starting to get serious but it doesn’t mean you need to go planning a wedding either.” Shiro joked. “As I said, we’re taking it slow. After the war, things might be more definite, but for now, we’re seeing where things go.”

“He’s making a great deal of effort,” Allura pointed out.

“It’s how Ulaz is. He’s an all or nothing kind of guy.” A soft smile played on the corner of Shiro’s lips as he tried not to give anything away.

“You really like him,” Pidge called him on it.

“I’ve never seen him blush that much!” Hunk joined in.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” Shiro tried to say.

“Wait,” Lance cut in. “Didn’t Allura say that this form of courting was to find a life partner? But you’re saying that it’s not serious. Are you lying to us?”

Shiro was red in the face as everyone waited for a response.

“I think the better way of explaining it is, a more serious form of dating,” Shiro confessed.

“How serious are we talking here?” Pidge asked. “I mean, are you really considering marrying him.”

“He’s red!” Lance exclaimed.

“You like him that much?” Keith asked. “Why didn’t you say anything to us?”

Shiro sighed and scratched the back of his head looking for the right words.

“It’s not that I didn’t want to, or that I was hiding it from you,” Shiro began. “Things kind of…progressed naturally.” He was fishing for the right words. “One thing leads to another, but then we didn’t see each other for a while because of missions. And things just kind of happened, but there was never a good time to bring it up.”

What they had was soft. The few moments they had together were spent wrapped in each other, keeping their voices low as they caught up. Comforting words and gentle touches flowing freely between them. Before he knew it, they were more emotionally intimate than he’d ever been with another person.

Falling for Ulaz had been easy. It was like being submerged in warmth. He couldn’t imagine trying to fight the way he felt. And then they had been laying next to each other, Ulaz tenderly stroking his face and holding his hand after a particularly dangerous mission, just happy the other person was alive when Ulaz asked to court him.

Shiro had joked after Ulaz explained what courting meant, saying they were already past that point.

“Yes,” Ulaz agreed purring. “But it’s only proper and I would like to do this for you.”

Things went from there. Ulaz kept bestowing Shiro with gifts but always got flustered if Shiro did the same.

“I’m the one courting you,” Ulaz would joke but his cheeks would flush violet.

“I can still get you something just ‘cause,” Shiro would retort.

They were simple and sweet like that. But he understood why the paladins were upset.

“Well,” Shiro looked at them. “You know now.”

“What happened to no secrets amongst Voltron?” Lance crossed his arms.

“Are you guys, mad?” Shiro asked.

“A little peeved,” Pidge admitted. “Courting is the deciding factor to marriage, that means you already had a relationship. That’s a long time for it to ‘not come up.’”

“I wasn’t sure how you guys would react,” He wasn’t going to explain to them the difficulties that came with being an interspecies couple. The fact that dating another species was a taboo for both their species was enough of a setback. Neither of them were sure how to explain that they found the other attractive. And tell their friends about it…well, let’s just say they weren’t looking forward to that conversation.

“I get you not telling them,” Keith said, much to everyone’s surprise. “But how did you not tell me?”

“Dude!” Lance let his offense be known.

“We’ve known each other for so long. You could have trusted me with this.” Keith continued. “I wouldn’t have judged.”

“I’m sorry,” Shiro said. “But you know now.”

“That’s not the point,” Keith said.

“I’ll try to be more open going forwards, but apologizing is all I can do right now,” Shiro said.

Keith sighed. Shiro had a point. Everything was out in the open. There was no point in doting on the past, but it didn’t make him feel any better. Before Keith could say more the doors slid open.

“There you are,” Ulaz said as he came through. “I must go. Kolivan needs me on an important mission. I may be gone for many quintants if not movements.” He was looking to Shiro as he explained this.

“Is it dangerous?” Shiro asked. Blade missions were always dangerous. They all knew that. But Shiro still had to ask and gage Ulaz’s reaction to know what the odds were of him getting hurt.

“It’s infiltration and information gathering. I won’t need to go into deep cover, but there are still some risks,” Ulaz said honestly. “I have to leave immediately.”

“Oh,” Shiro wasn’t sure how to respond. He was never good with pda. Add the awkwardness of the Paladins knowing what was going on and the urgency of the situation, he wasn’t sure what to say. All that came out was, “Be careful.”

“I always am,” Ulaz gave a gentle smile, his ear perking up. They shared an affectionate glance before Ulaz said. “I must prepare. I need to leave within the varga.”

Ulaz started to step away but Shiro pulled him into a tight hug. Ulaz didn’t hesitate to hug him back.

“Come back, okay?” Shiro made him promise.

“I will,” Ulaz said, but he also started to pull away. “I have to prepare,” he said again. It was apparent that having to cut this moment short was painful for him, but he had to focus on his mission. The universe was at stake.

“Alright,” Shiro let him go and Ulaz bid them all farewell before he darted off so he could get going.

“You should go too,” Keith suggested. “Help him pack and stuff.”

“Yeah,” Shiro was glad that there seemed to be some sort of understanding. He slipped out of the room to go spend a few more moments with Ulaz before he had to go.

Fin. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Told ya it was cute ^^  
> Annnnnd this is my 50th fic on this site!  
> Drop a comment if you liked it. I love hearing what you guys think ^o^


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